Charge-forming device



April 24, 1928.

A. B. KNIGHT CHARGE FORMING DEVICE Filed May '7, 1927 gwoewtoz HB/ZWGWTabtozmq Patented Apr. .24, 1928.

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CHARGETFQRMING DEVICE.

' Application filed Kay 7,

This invention relates tocharge forming devices and moreparticularly toa device for forming explosive mixtures of gas and air. 7

In the glass working industry it is the common practice to use gasburners for glaz-' ing and polishing variousarticles such as tumblersand the like to smooth the edges after the cracking off operation, andto 1 smooth the sides of pressed tumblers and the like. When the usualburners and charge forming devices are employed, it has been found thatminute particles of carbon are deposited upon and adhere to thearticles- 15 thus spoiling theappearance thereof. This depositingof'carbon particles andthe like upon the glassware has been found to bedue to imperfect combustion of the gas. The imperfect combustion, inturn. undoubt- 20 edly is due to a greatextent to the fact that the airand gas fed to the burners are not perfectly mixed. i

Animportant object of the present invention is to provide a novel chargeforming device adapted for use with any form of gasburners, and moreparticularly to burn ers used for glazing andpolishing glassware,wherein a perfect homogeneous explosive mixture is provided whichisadapted to burn cleanly without depositing particles of carbon and thelike upon the glassware.

A further object is to utilize a centrifugal blower of novelconstructionfor effecting the formation of the fuel charges.

A further object is to providea charge forming device of the abovementioned character wherein air adjustments are wholly un necessary tothe formation of perfect combustible charges.

A further object is to provide acharge forming device employing acentrifugal blower mounted in a housing having a relatively largeopening in one side thereof to receive the air to be mixed with the gas,the gas being introduced into the interior of the hub of the blower,which is hollow and provided with perforations through which the gas isdrawn by the blower when the latter is rotated, thus permitting themaking of a perfect homogeneous mixture of gas and air which is adaptedto be perfectly burned.

Other objects and advantages of the in- 1927. Serial No. was ventionwill become apparent during the course of. the following description.

l Inthe-drawings I'have shown one embodiment of the invention. In thisshowing Figurel is a sideelevation of the blower and associatedelements. the gas pipe being omitted,

' Figure2 is a section taken on line 2'2 of Figure 1,

- Figurev 3 1s an enlarged detail-i section on line 33 of Figure 2, and,i

- Figure 4 is a fragmentary perspective view of the rotor. I Referringto the drawings, the numeral designates a blower casing as a whole whichis. preferably formed of complementary sections 11 bolted together asindicated by the' V numeral 12-. One of the casing sections 11 isprovided with airelatively large axial opening 13 through which air isdrawn in a manner to be described.

I Theblower' is provided with outlet passage 14 communicating ,with anoutlet pipe'15 which is adaptedto discharge the combustible mixtureintoa suitable manifold 16, and the flowof the mixture through the pipe15 may becontrolled by a valvel5. Take-off pipesl? are connected to themanifold and are adapted to be controlled by valves 18. Any number ofthe pipes 17 may be employed depending upon the number of burners tobe.operated,-and these pipes may beconnected to the manifold at anysuitable point. A support 19 is mounted adjacent the casing 10 on theopposite sidefrom the air inlet 13, and a motor 20 is mounted upon thissupport. The casing 10 is, fixed to thedsupport by bolting or otherwisesecuring it to an upstandingflange 21 preferably formed integral withthe support.

A rotor indicated as a whole by the numera1 22 is mounted within thecasing 10 and comprises a series of radial blades 23 mounted uponatubular hub 24 and connected at their outer ends by a preferablyintegral reinforcing band 25. A portion of the hub 24 extends throughaxial openings 26 formed in the flange 21 and adjacent wall of thecasing 10. The projecting portion. ofthe hub is keyed or otherwisesecured to the armature shaft 27 of the motor 20 to be driva tangentiali en thereby. The portion of the hub 24 arranged'within the casing isprovided with a plurality of openings or perforations 28 arrangedbetween each adjacent pair of blades 23.

Gas is supplied to the interior of the hub 24 by a pipe 29. The innerend of this pipe is preferably tapered as indicated at 30 and isarranged adjacent and coaxial with respect to the hub 24 whereby gaswill be supplied to the interior thereof. The'pipe 2Q support,

ed in proper position by a bracket 30 secured to the'blower casing. Thepipe 29 is connected to any suitable source of gas supply and a cut-offvalve 31 is arranged in the pipe29. H j

The operation ofthe' device isas follows:

When it is dcsiredto. operate burners.con.-

nected to the pipes 17, the motor; 20 is started'and any of'the valves18 opened depending upon the burners to be used. The valve '31 is'thenopened, and the action of the blower draws air into the blower casingthroughthe opening 13, and at the vsame time creates a depression withinthe'hollow hub 24tthus causing gasto be drawn thereinto. This gas isevenly fed outwardly into the spaces between the blades 23 due to thecentrifugal force generatedby the latter,

the plurality of openings 28 serving to feed the gas-in a number ofsmall streams. The rotating action of the blades 23 not only serves todraw in air and gas'in the manner described, but also greatly agitatesthem so as to provide anefficient combustible mixture. In practice, thea-reasofthe openings 28, air-opening 18, and rtheiinn'er end of the pipe29 are designed so that a given proportion of air and gas are drawn intothe casing. It has been found that this proportion is not disturbed bydifferences in the rotative speed of the blower, nor by the It will beapparent, however, that the device is not limited in its use to glazingand polishing burners, but may be used as a charge forming device forsupplying combustible gas mixtures to any forms of gas burners.

It is to be understood that the form of the invention herewith shown anddescribed is to be takenas a preferred example of the same, and thatvarious changes in the shape, size and arrangement of parts may beresorted to without departing from the spirit of the invention or thescope ofthe-subjoined claims. I

I claimz 1. A device of the character described comprising. ablowercasing having an air inlet opening, a centrifugal blowierincluchinga pluralityof blades mounted in said casing, said blower beingprovided, with a hollow hub having openings therethrough,

and a pipe having its out-let endiarrfanged adjacent said hub, and,adapted to deliver gasto the interior-of: said-hub. I 1

2. A device of" the character described comprising a blower casinghaving agrela tively large axial air inlet openi'ngin one side thereof,a centrifugal-blowerQinclud ing a plurality of blades mounted inrsaidcasing, said blower being provided with a tubular hub. having radialopenings therethrough arranged between said blades, 011.6 end of saidhubbeingv open, and af pipo having its outlet end arranged adjacent theopen end of said hub, andz'adapted 'to deliver gas to the interiorthereof;ithrough; its open end. a

A device of the character described comprising a blower casing having anaxial air inletopening in one side thereof, a, coiltr1fugal blowerincluding-a plurality of blades 'mounted'insaid casing, said'blowerALBERT BREAKENRIDGE KNIGHT.

